People with above-normal resting heart rates are more likely to be obese and develop diabetes, according to a study at Kurume University School of Medicine in Japan.

Researchers studied 620 people from 1979-1999, and found that a heart rate of 80 beats per minute or higher at the beginning of the study significantly predicted obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes 20 years later. The participants were divided into four groups based on resting heart rates: under 60, 60-69, 70-79, and over 80. Compared with those whose heart rates were under 60, those with rates over 80 were 1.34 times more likely to be obese, 1.2 times more likely to develop insulin resistance and 4.39 times more likely to become diabetic.

Heart rate is regulated by the sympathetic nervous system, and researchers hope that these findings can provide a mechanism that might explain the link to obesity. The researchers believe that excessive nerve activities may lead to obesity because they lower the amount of fat burned in the body.